Meta grinder is the right word. These companies absolutely extract value from the sacrifice of the lowest level workers. Too many managers, all just nitpicking and penalizing their reports. The stress is entirely artificial and arbitrary. It is all about "what does my boss think for the next perf review. Will I be thrown on PIP?" This kind of environment is not healthy.

The smartest people do their stint in these companies and then jump to startups, or start their own businesses these days. The $400k at a FAANG is undervalued for the stress of the job.